Baldwin may go to 4-day weeks soon

Baldwin County employees could be placed on four-day workweeks in as little as two months, according to County Commission Chairman Frank Burt Jr.

But Mobile Mayor Sam Jones said he is not interested in such a switch.

"That might work for a profit-driven business, but not a service-driven business," Jones said. "People aren't going to stop calling on Friday."

Across the bay, Burt has a different outlook.

Burt said he favors a plan in which some employees would work Monday through Thursday and others Tuesday through Friday. In both cases, he said, offices could stay open longer, as employees work from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch.

"We had discussed it for, oh, probably off and on for several years, looking at better ways (of) getting service to the citizens," Burt said.

Baldwin County offices close at 4:30, at present. But "the average person is working until 5 or something like that," Burt said. "They can't get a driver's license or get a tag done or many other governmental services."

The rising cost of gas has added to the need for change, according to Burt.

"We're a big county," Burt said. "Many of the employees, they travel 40 miles a day to get to work and back."

One less day of commuting could make a big difference at the pump, he said.

"Some departments are favorable towards it, some have a lot of questions," Burt said.

But he said that he believes it has enough support to gain County Commission approval. Burt said he hopes to bring a proposal before the commission in September and start the new schedules with the new fiscal year, Oct. 1.